3 important SEO tips for crafters and artisans

Yesterday, I listened to a CraftyPod podcast about SEO (search engine optimization) with Cory Huff. [Thanks to @NEMultimedia for the suggestion.]  For many of us who have blogs, websites, or products to sell online, SEO is a mystery we are always trying to unravel.  It's that carrot that is dangling before us always just slightly out of reach.  I found this podcast particularly helpful as it is geared to crafters/artisans with online businesses.

Here are 3 important SEO tips I gleaned from this podcast: 

1.  Title tag key words and structure are important.

You must have descriptive words in your product titles.  Search engines won't pick up on fancy names or quirky lingo.  Describe what you are selling and use the most descriptive words first.  Remember, search engines are looking for these word!

2.  Use descriptive names for your images.  I failed miserably with this one.  Search engines read the image URLs to hone in on what it is trying to reading.  You don't want them to be reading numbers or obscure product names but rather a description of the image.  For example:

Most digital cameras save photos with a default number such as image021611.jpg.  I always change the name to something I recognize but failed in being descriptive.  For example, I may have changed the image name to Manhattan_bag.jpg.  The best way to name the image is seatbelt_messenger_bag_manhattan_blue.jpg.  Now, a search engine can read it and can pull the image up during searches with those words.

3.  Don't lose sleep over SEO.  It's is a lengthy process and one that seems to change constantly.  Fact of the matter is that the best way to be found online is with human interaction:  blog comments, Twitter conversations, Facebook discussions.  It is far more effective and worthwhile to develop long term relationships with your customers than it is to spend hours pouring over words for the search engines. 

I highly recommend listening to CraftyPod #125: Talking SEO, with Cory Huff.  You can also find more helpful information on the show's summary page.  I'm sure you will learn something new about SEO for your crafty business.

[image source, APizm]

My marketing goals for 2009

One of my goals this year, is to manage my online marketing to the fullest. Like many, I'm all over the internet. Now, I want to target my audience and put my energy toward those networks that will serve me best. I have my own website and blog. I am on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Etsy (and several other buying/selling sites), blog network sites, various directories, ning, and countless others. They are all time consuming, albeit fun, and I need them to work for me.

I've recently signed up for a pro account on Flickr. For minimal cost it has allowed unlimited photo management which saves me a lot of time. Plus, it has its own networking community. I was able to create a slide show for my website which was a lot easier than creating my own html code.

Today, I updated my Facebook page and started my first ad campaign there. We will see how it goes. If you are on Facebook, please consider becoming a fan. Also, let me know if you are on FB, and I'll do the same.

I was also reading up on DIY SEO tips (do-it-yourself search optimization). I manage and code my own website which is very time consuming. I am a self taught computer geek with very little training. My guide has been internet searches, various blogs. the book Creating Web Sites - the missing Manual, and lots of trial and error. But, I've come this far. It is quite liberating. As I begin to implement some of my strategies, I will share them. Perhaps it will help or maybe you can stop me before I make a huge mistake!